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Judges 15:4-6

Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle between every two tails. When he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the olive groves.

Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” They said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” The Philistines came up, and burned her and her father with fire.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Judges 15:4-6 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless in the case of the Philistines when I harm them.” Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle between every two tails. When he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the olive groves.

Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” They said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” The Philistines came up, and burned her and her father with fire.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle between every two tails.

    When he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the olive groves.

    Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” They said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” The Philistines came up, and burned her and her father with fire.

  • KJV King James Version

    And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.

    And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.

    Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the midst between every two tails.

    And when he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing corn, and also the oliveyards.

    Then the Philistines said: 'Who hath done this?' And they said: 'Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he hath taken his wife, and given her to his companion.' And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

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Cross-references (9)

  • Judges 14:15 (v6) On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your…
  • Proverbs 22:8 (v6) He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
  • Lamentations 5:18 (v4) For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it.
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:6 (v6) that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as…
  • Psalms 63:10 (v4) They shall be given over to the power of the sword. They shall be jackal food.
Show all 9 cross-references
  • Song of Solomon 2:15 (v4) Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that plunder the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.
  • Exodus 22:6 (v5) “If fire breaks out, and catches in thorns so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, or the field are consumed; he who kindled…
  • Judges 12:1 (v6) The men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said to Jephthah, “Why did you pass over to fight against the…
  • 2 Samuel 14:30 (v5) Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s…

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (15 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv5–6 Or, that which was reaped and gathered.

Or, that which was reaped and gathered.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv4–6 Jdg 15:4 And Samson went and caught three hundred…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv4–6 There were great numbers of foxes in Canaan, as…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv4–6 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes,.... Nor…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv4–6 Foxes - Of which there were great numbers in…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv4, 6 Verse 4. Went and caught three hundred foxes] There…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv4–6 Jdg 15:4. Samson went and caught three hundred foxes…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv4, 6 Foxes - Rather, “jackals,” which are still very common…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv4, 6 Foxes. Being judge of the people, he might have…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv4, 6 went and caught three hundred foxes--rather, "jackals"; an animal…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv4–6 4. Caught three hundred foxes — We are not…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv4–6 4. three hundred foxes] The fox is a solitary…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv4–6 (4) Caught three hundred foxes.—Rather, three hundred jackals. The…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv4–6 Foxes. The word here rendered fox (shual, in Persian…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v5 standing grain
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